When Singapore declared it's independence on 9 August 1965, it had only two infantry regiments. These regiments were established and commanded by British officers, and when Britain withdrew from Singapore it effectively left it without armed forces.
The small island, which has a surface area of about 670 square kilometers, is mainly inhabited by Chinese residents, and they live between the two Muslim countries of Malaysia and Indonesia. It is the fear created by living in the shadow of the large Muslim majority and fear of a Malaysian incursion that prompted the military partnership between Singapore and Israel.
The Israeli team conducted a course for new recruits, a platoon commander's course and an officer's course, on the basis of plans that were sent from Israel. About 200 commanders were trained in less than a year.
In his bookFrom Third World to First: The Singapore Story 1965-2000, Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's first prime minister and founding father, disclosed the secret of the Singaporean army. Singapore's army is today considered the strongest and most advanced of the military forces in Southeast Asia.
